The Congo virus

As the sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha are arriving in major cities, more and more cases of Congo fever are being reported from different parts of the country. Two years back, my 20-year-old nephew was diagnosed with ‘Viral Haemorrhagic Fever’ ahead of Eidul Azha. He was bleeding profusely from the nose, ears, mouth etc for nine days. Doctors were of the opinion that my nephew had contracted the virus through sacrificial animals.

He was kept in quarantine for three days for fear of the Congo virus. His blood samples were sent to a laboratory in the UK which confirmed that it wasn’t the Congo virus. During treatment, he received more than 40 bags of white blood cells and also had to undergo two sessions of dialysis because during treatment, his kidneys got affected. Fortunately, my nephew won the fight with the disease. While we offer our religious rituals, it is equally important for each one of us to take care of ourselves and of those who have a contact with sacrificial animals in excitement ahead of Eidul Azha.

M Rafique Zakaria

Karachi